For instance, the patent literature 1 proposes the following production method of a thermoelectric converter. In the production method, open holes are formed in an insulating mold form. The open holes are regularly filled with a first conductive paste made of Bi, Te, and Se and a second conductive paste made of Bi, Sb, and Te.
A plurality of front side conductive layers are formed on the front surface of the insulating mold form in contact with the adjacent first and second conductive pastes. A plurality of reverse side conductive layers are formed on the reverse surface of the insulating mold form in contact with the first conductive pastes and the second conductive pastes which contact with the front side conductive layers which do not contact with the former first conductive pastes.
Subsequently, the insulating mold form is heat-treated within an Ar gas atmosphere at 460° C. for ten hours to make N-type thermoelectric converter devices of the conductive paste made of Bi, Te, and Se and P-type thermoelectric converter devices of the conductive paste made of Bi, Sb, and Te. At this time, the N-type thermoelectric converter devices, the P-type thermoelectric converter devices, the front side conductive layers, and the reverse side conductive layers are connected, thereby producing the thermoelectric having the N-type thermoelectric converter devices and the P-type thermoelectric converter devices connected alternately in series.
When the insulating mold form is heat-treated within the Ar gas atmosphere at 460° C. for ten hours, the N-type thermoelectric converter devices and the P-type thermoelectric converter devices (alloys) are liquid-phase sintered because melting points of Bi and Te are lower than 460° C.